Travel: Two days in Washington, D.C.

Wednesday

Sep 4, 2013 at 12:01 AMSep 4, 2013 at 4:16 AM

Make sure you bring your walking shoe to Washington, D.C., one of America's most beautiful city centers: thoughtfully laid out, artfully designed in the Francophile style of the founding fathers, and stuffed to the hilt with historical, cultural, gastronomical and just plain whimsical sights.

Michael Hartigan/DAILY NEWS CORRESPONDENT

Make no mistake, a weekend jaunt to Washington, D.C., is not a relaxing vacation. Like most pedestrian-friendly tourist destinations, walking here is required. And summertime walking - with oppressive humidity and heat – cannot be taken lightly. But this is also one of America's most beautiful city centers: thoughtfully laid out, artfully designed in the Francophile style of the founding fathers, and stuffed to the hilt with historical, cultural, gastronomical and just plain whimsical sights.

To really see it all, you need an extended stay. And even then, the transient nature of D.C. and the overabundance of surrounding distractions would make that accomplishment more difficult than uniting the colonies. Whether up to Baltimore's harbor, down to Virginia's burgeoning wine country or out to refreshing Appalachia, it becomes easy to stray from the city limits.

But with a weekend, a good pair of sneakers, a filled water bottle and a loose plan, you can conquer downtown D.C. And with a slew of free museums and monuments, you can do so on the cheap.

The majority of sights are clustered downtown, on or tangential to the elongated National Mall stretching from Capitol Hill in the east to the Lincoln Memorial in the west.

The best way to begin tackling any city is to seek high ground in the morning and get a lay of the land. Unfortunately, due to a 2011 earthquake, the Washington Monument is currently closed and covered in scaffolding for repairs.

But you can begin your day close by at the intersection of 12th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue. The Old Post Office, complete with a soaring clock tower, offers visitors a sweeping panoramic view of the city. Built in 1899 and currently run by the National Park Service, the Old Post Office is free to enter. Take glass elevator to the tower’s top and enjoy the incredible view that encompasses all of the city’s major monuments. It’s a treat you wouldn’t even get from the Washington Monument.

While atop the clock tower, you’ll notice the massive dome of the Capitol watching over the city. After leaving the Old Post Office, continue your morning by heading in that direction. Utilize the Metro, Washington’s subway system, which is easily navigated, well-marked and has conveniently located stations.

One of the most recognizable buildings in the world, the Capitol is home to the United States’ legislative branch of government, the House of Representatives and the Senate. Regardless of your political philosophy, the structure is overwhelmingly beautiful, with its columns and soaring white dome capped by the Statue of Freedom. That’s just the outside.

Touring the inside of the Capitol unveils not just government, but the history of American progress and the pioneers who sparked it. The halls are immaculately adorned with statues of history makers. Only a limited number of same-day tour tickets are available, but a quick call to your member of congressman or woman will get you reservations in advance. Also inquire about gallery passes, which if Congress is in session will nab you a chance to see legislators in action.

After a morning at the Capitol, explore the Capitol Hill grounds and loop around to the Supreme Court and Library of Congress. Both are worth a visit and require only as much time as you see fit. Guests at the Supreme Court are encouraged to walk the halls, while docent-led tours at the Library of Congress take you through extraordinary art and architecture, not to mention the full breadth of the word’s literary masterpieces.

Leaving Capitol Hill on its South side brings you down Independence Avenue, past the United States Botanic Garden to the National Museum of the American Indian. Free to enter, head into this museum for lunch – yes, lunch – after taking in the smooth, curvaceous exterior imbued with symbolism. The cafeteria-style Mitsitam Café (which means "Let’s Eat" in the Delaware and Piscataway native languages) on the museum’s lower level offers delicious authentic Native American dishes from all over the Western Hemisphere, like "fry bread" and buffalo chili.

After refueling, it is a short walk next door to one of the most visited museums in the world: the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. Upon entering this massive complex, you’ll crane your head upward to see an aircraft seemingly suspended mid-flight. Aside from the planes and spacecraft hanging all around the building, this free museum offers creative exhibits ranging from the Wright Brothers’ first flight to an in-depth look at World War II aircraft carriers.

If there is still time left in the day, the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History and the National Gallery of Art are directly across the Mall from the Air and Space Museum. Regardless of which you choose, do not miss the sculpture garden nestled between the two museums. Larger-than-life works of art dotted among the trees and flowers surrounds a large circular fountain. On Friday evenings in the summer, jazz bands play from a makeshift stage and vendor carts sell pitchers of sangria. Relaxing under a tree next to a massive metal sculpture, sipping a cold drink and listening to music, there’s no better way to end a day in D.C.

Day two takes you to the other side of the National Mall and entails a bevy of outdoor eye-candy. Grab a hearty breakfast (doughnuts from GBD – it stands for "Golden, Brown Delicious" - in Dupont Circle should do the trick) and a bottle of cold water before you begin your day.

Starting across the Tidal Basin at the Thomas Jefferson Memorial gives a whole different perspective of the city. The memorial itself is stunning, a scaled-down version of Rome’s Pantheon complete with a massive Jefferson statue that has its gaze fixed across the water at the White House. The line of sight is clear, as builders wanted Jefferson to always be able to keep an eye on the office of the president.

Skirt the Tidal Basin to the west and you’ll come upon two of the most moving monuments in the city. Meander through the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, touching upon each stage of his extraordinary tenure in the White House from the Depression through World War II. It is a serene yet surreal layout, with water features and a deity-like statue of Roosevelt and his dog that assuredly makes an impact. Continue along the water’s edge and you’ll arrive at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, a striking and powerful homage to the civil rights leader.

A quick stroll to the National Mall will bring you to the beautiful National World War II Memorial, which sits at the foot of the 555-foot, 5 and 1/8-inch Washington Monument obelisk. At the Word War II Memorial, visitors reflect upon the sacrifice made by service members, while admiring the symbolism wreathed around every crevice of this dramatic site. The pylons bearing the names of the states and U.S. territories are laid out in order of statehood.

If there were ever a perfect place for a picnic lunch, this would be it, parked along the Tidal Basin or on the Mall. But if air conditioning is a priority, head to Old Ebbitt Grill, a historic oyster bar and Washington, D.C. staple. After filling up, you’re in position to join the throngs snapping photos of the most famous house in the world – the White House. Be sure to see both sides of the presidential mansion, circling around to the Ellipse.

From there, make your way back along the Mall to the far west end, where Abraham Lincoln awaits upon his gargantuan stone chair. After you’ve read the inscriptions of Lincoln’s most famous words carved into the monument, visit the somber memorials to the Vietnam and Korean wars flanking it.

Without a doubt, America’s capital city is bursting with significant sights and sounds, much more than can be experienced in a weekend. But with a good game plan and a little enthusiasm, two days in Washington, D.C., is enough to get the most out of your tax dollars and get at the heart of America’s capital city.

If you go

The Capitol: For tour tickets, call your congressman or congresswoman or visit www.aoc.gov.
Smithsonian Museums: Admission is free to all Smithsonian museums. Visit www.si.edu/Museums
The Old Post Office Tower: www.nps.gov/opot/.
Where to eat: For breakfast, try the doughnuts at GBD Chicken & Donuts, 1323 Connecticut Ave., NW, www.gbdchickendoughnuts.com; For lunch or dinner, check out Old Ebbitt Grill, 675 15th St NW, 202-347-4800, www.ebbitt.com. For a good burger and a beer, try the Bier Baron at 1523 22nd Street, NW, 202-293-1887, www.inlovewithbier.com; For a nice dinner out, make reservations at Birch & Barley at 1337 14th Street, NW, 202-567-2576, www.birchandbarley.com.

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